Library-park and museum of the Constitution

1. Santa Fe and culture

Santa Fe, with 572,265 inhabitants, is the provincial capital. With an outstanding institutional activity, it is also consolidated as an educational, scientific, commercial and service centre. It has an important university population and a diverse and vigorous cultural ecosystem, as well as a rich historical and cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible.

Led by the Secretariat of Culture, the Museum is one of the projects within the framework of the UCLG Pilot City Programme (2017-2019), and was co-developed with numerous actors and institutions through participatory governance work. It is a project consistent with local development policies, taking as background the Development Plan and the Santa Fe City Urban Plan (2008), the Santa Fe Resilience Strategy (2017), the 2020 and 2024 Government agendas.

The aim is to promote the democratic principles of the Magna Carta, foster a sense of belonging and reflect the local identity as a "Constitution City".

2. Project goals and implementation

2.1. Main goal and specific objectives

The overall objective is to promote the democratic principles of the Magna Carta, foster a sense of belonging and reflect the local identity as “Constitution City” through the co-creation and co-management of a new cultural infrastructure and public space, with a sustainable and inclusive territorial planning approach.

The museum, conceived as an innovative interpretation centre and a powerhouse of active citizenship, seeks to promote and guarantee cultural rights, stimulate meaningful learning experiences, encourage reflection on national history and deepen the dialogue on fundamental rights and the principles of democracy, federalism and republic of the Major Law. Specific objectives are:

• Generate instances of dialogue, participatory design and mechanisms for the co-creation of the cultural project, the museographic design and the creative contents of the museum.
• Promote cultural rights with a museum model that works for cultural democracy and the exercise of cultural capacities in close connection with the community.
• To propose new forms of meaningful, experiential and creative learning through mediation and an accessible, innovative and didactic museum tour.
• Protect and promote cultural heritage and disseminate new expressions.
• Generate mechanisms to encourage dialogue between science, art and technology.
• To promote sustainable cultural and educational tourism.
• Consolidate alliances and the shared governance model of the museum, both for its sustainability and replicability in other cultural infrastructures.

2.2. Development of the project

The main actions and strategies implemented were:

• Articulation of multi-stakeholder agreements to develop the project.
• Pledge of allegiance to the Constitution by students.
• Tables for co-creation and development of creative content for the Park and Museum: dialogue between science, art, technology, history and everyday life.
• Stand: “Santa Fe, City of the Constitution” for Tecnópolis Federal, travelling nationwide.
• Inauguration of the “Auditorio Federal” and programming of cultural activities.
• Presentation of the UCLG Pilot City Action Plan.
• Inauguration of the museum and the “Festival of Democracy”.
• Forum on Culture and Territorial Development. Dialogue roundtable “Right to the city: Implementation of cultural rights in the region” and collective elaboration of a “Charter of Cultural Rights”.
• Publication “Santa Fe, Ciudad de la Constitución” (Project “Aula Ciudad”): articles and educational activities.
• Workshops for students on the production and presentation of short films and micro-theatrical scenes on the National Constitution in everyday life situations.
• Consensus workshop for the design of the National Constitution Museum Park, from an environmentally sustainable perspective.
• Cultural accessibility project of the museum within the framework of the Creative Cities Network.
• Collaborative work between the Nation, Municipality, University, social organisations and people with visual and hearing disabilities. Staff training and creation of prototypes of accessible resources.
• Commemorative activities “Anniversary of the Reform” with the participation of the 1994 Constituent Assembly members.
• Temporary exhibitions on Human Rights in agreement with the Haroldo Conti Memory Cultural Centre.
• Participatory dialogues in the museum on cultural rights, indigenous peoples’ rights, constitutional law, etc.
• Dissemination of the “Constitution in Easy Reading” for children, adolescents and people with difficulties in reading and understanding texts.
• Open museum with accessibility strategies in the virtual museum environment.
• Exhibitions in room 0, activations, talks, recitals, poetry readings with Wichi and Mapuche communities.
• Knowledge Hub: Conversations with leading figures in education, politics and culture.
• Training for teachers by the Museum and Park Association, the FECIC and the Argentinean Association of Constitutional Law.
• Constitution month. Constitution road, and dialogue tables.
• Multimedia Workshops: art, science and technology.

Phases:

1. Environmental recovery of the site, construction of the Library-Park of the Constitution and inauguration of the Civic Plaza with its three-column monument.
2. Participatory design, creative development and implementation of the museum with 2099 m² of covered area and 525 m² of semi-covered area, nine thematic rooms and an auditorium.
3. Action plan and collaborative management of the National Constitution Library Park and Museum.

This project worked with the Library-Park Association of the Constitution, the provincial government, the national government, the Federal Investment Council, the Chamber of Senators and Deputies, the Embassies of Mexico and the United States, UCLG and UNL.

This cultural infrastructure and public space are cocreated and comanaged, with a sustainable and inclusive territorial planning approach.

3. Impacts

3.1. Direct impacts

The museum today represents an emblematic cultural space of the city and of genuine interest to residents and constitutes a milestone for the municipality for its explicit prioritisation of cultural rights in public policies. Possible barriers to access and participation are analysed, mechanisms are implemented to ensure the active involvement of all people, and special activities are carried out with vulnerable groups or those at risk of exclusion. Educational communities also report on the impact of their innovative learning processes.

It also encourages the dynamism of the cultural sector, promoting interconnection and co-creation between actors and with the community. It also has an environmental-urban impact of socio-territorial inclusion, prioritising the recovery of the environmental conditions of a deteriorated area and has an impact on local economic development and the employability of the sector.

3.2. Evaluation

The evaluation of this initiative has taken into account technical criteria linked to the construction of the infrastructure and the revaluation of a 17-hectare site for the enjoyment of the citizens.

Regarding the museum proposal and the tour experience, monthly reports are made on the balance of visits (number of people, origin, type of visits, visit times, group links, source of information and, in the case of tourists, whether they plan to carry out other activities in the city). The quantity and quality of the cultural and content programming is also recorded by means of surveys of visitors, collecting opinions and suggestions.

3.3. Key factors

The conception as a strategic intervention, the existence of good coordination in the work of the different areas of the municipal administration, its programmes, human and technical resources, have been key to an important involvement with society.

The Library-Park Association of the Constitution has been another relevant factor, bringing together civil society, representatives of government agencies, public and private institutions, educational, social, production and work entities from the entire political spectrum of the city, and consolidating public-private alliances that have contributed to the realisation and sustainability of the project.

Another has been Santa Fe’s leadership in two high-impact programmes: Rockefeller Foundation’s “100 Resilient Cities” and the national government’s “Creative Cities Network” and, as part of the Pilot City Programme, several of its activities and indicators were aligned within the Culture Action Plan, optimising results (2018-2019).

The planning of public spaces in Santa Fe has been crucial, considering the geographical characteristics and the challenges of coexistence with the rivers, with relevant infrastructure projects.

3.4. Continuity

Over the years, the project has acquired the status of a state policy, and there is a clear commitment to sustain the initiative. It has a qualified municipal staff structure directly involved in its operation and its own budget line within the annual municipal budget.

The realisation of the Library-Park and Museum has implied gathering the lessons learned and the possibility of replicability in the process of governance and social and cultural cooperation. It has been co-created and co-managed through working groups, strengthening alliances with bodies, organisations, and cultural, educational and scientific institutions.

Cocreation and comanagement has been possible through working groups, strengthening alliances with bodies, organisations and cultural, educational and scientific institutions.

4. More information

Santa Fe was a candidate for the sixth UCLG – Mexico City – Culture 21 International Award (November 2023 – March 2024). The jury for the award drew up its final report in June 2024, and requested that the Committee on Culture promote this project as one of the good practices to be implemented through Agenda 21 for culture.

This article was written by Luciana Ceresola, Secretary for Culture, and María Florencia Platino, Director of Culture and Strategic Planning, Santa Fe de Vera Cruz, Province of Santa Fe, Argentina.

Contact: l.ceresola (at) santafeciudad.gov.ar
Website: www.santafeciudad.gov.ar/